Bullz-Eye tested the new Domino’s boneless chicken wings and regular chicken wings to see what all the hype was about. Our friend Phil over at Domino’s sent over a variety of different samples and we filled up on some good fair! Ever since the new Domino’s pizza hit the market last year we have been interested in the transformation at Domino’s and even took a trip to visit Domino’s headquarters in Michigan to get a behind the scenes look at what Domino’s did to change course with a vastly improved pizza.

Ok, This post is about the new Domino’s chicken wings so let’s get back on track. Domino’s sent over both boneless chicken and regular chicken wings in Hot, BBQ and Sweet Mango Habanero. The Domino’s chicken is billed as the next chapter in the Domino’s story of reinvention and we are happy to report this chicken is very good. My fellow chicken wing fanatics and I first noticed how tender the chicken was on the wings. Lean and tender was the best way to describe the new Domino’s wings and the flavors are vibrant and accurate. The favorite was the Sweet Mango Habanero and when dipped in the provided Ranch or blue cheese containers forget about it!

The new boneless wings are made with 100 percent whole white breast meat lightly breaded with savory herbs and they are simply delicious! The boneless chicken are not covered in sauce but rather they come with dipping sauces consisting of hot, BBQ and new Sweet Mango Habanero and of course ranch or blue cheese for dipping. All of the flavors were very good but again the new Sweet Mango Habanero ranked # 1 with our group.

Domino’s appears to have more winners on their hands (including alot of flavored sauce – ok just reached for a napkin and I’m good) and we look forward to getting our grub on with the new Domino’s all white breast meat boneless and regular wings while watching a good sporting event on the big screen. Hey, It’s the American Way!

Last week, Yankee pitcher C.C. Sabathia made news when he explained that he lost 25 pounds during the off-season by kicking his Cap’n Crunch habit. “I used to eat it a box at a time,” he said.

Now, any fool knows that most breakfast cereals aren’t the best option if you’re looking to drop some pounds, so C.C. should have figured this out long ago. I interviewed C.C. after an Indians game in the locker room during his rookie season, and the towel around his waist could have been used as a tarp on the infield. The guy was huge.

That said, we can sympathize with the man, as most people know this stuff is incredibly addictive. We might not eat a box at a time like this 300+ pound athlete, but we’ve all been there where we couldn’t put the stuff down. You eat bowl after bowl, and then you can’t move for hours. The cereal companies know this so they spend millions on commercials trying to get you to try their stuff, hoping one bowl will get you hooked for life.

With that in mind I’ve put together my own list of the 11 most addictive breakfast cereals together with a commercial or related video. Most of this is a personal list, but I’ve added a few based on reputation alone, even though they aren’t my favorites.

11. Chocolate Cheerios

I happened to discover this new creation the day before the C.C. story broke. I’ve been laying off the sugary cereal for years except for brief moments of weakness, and I broke down when I saw this new creation at the drug store. The strange thing is that it’s not completely loaded with sugar, as it has fewer calories than many other addictive cereals. But the chocolate flavor makes this one incredible, and you just can’t stop eating it.

As for a commercial, we couldn’t find anything other than homemade tributes on YouTube, all of which were terrible.

10. Honey-Comb

They billed it as a big cereal with a big taste. The commercials sucked from what we can remember, and this one was particularly bad.

9. Crispix

This stuff isn’t that sweet, but it’s still addictive. The big selling point was that Crispix would stay crunchy in milk, and it certainly held up better than cereals like Golden Grahams, that would basically turn into a delicious mush. Here’s a spectacularly bad Crispix commercial.

8. Fruit Loops

You don’t really think of fruit when you eat this cereal. It’s pretty much a blast of sugar in all sorts of colors – more like candy. The commercials weren’t bad with Toucan Sam as the mascot. Some might prefer Fruity Pebbles, as it’s one of the soggy cereal classics, but I always preferred the Loops.

7. Frosted Flakes

This stuff basically tastes like pure sugar, but you can’t stop eating it after you start. The commercials were always a huge hit, with Tony the Tiger saying “They’re Grrrreat!” Here’s one of the oldest ones we found.

6. Apple Jacks

This is probably the best cereal out there with a big cinnamon taste. Here’s a classic commercial from way back when.

5. Corn Pops

I haven’t tried this stuff with the sweet corn flavor in years but I always loved it. This one should be inducted in the soggy hall of fame as well.

Before the Chocolate Cheerios came around, this favorite of Omar from “The Wire” was a longtime staple in my kitchen. Here’s one the early commercials with the jingle they milked for years.

2. Golden Grahams

It was tough keeping this one off the #1 spot, as the graham cracker taste is just incredible. As I explained above, these things get soggy pretty fast in milk, but they’re incredible when they’re crunchy and even when they become soggy. Here’s a pretty funny commercial without the annoying jingle.

1. Cocoa Puffs

Clearly, I have a real problem when it comes to chocolate – I can’t stop. By the time you get near the end of the bowl with Cocoa Puffs, you’re basically left with delicious chocolate milk. There are other brands that max out the chocolate flavor, like Count Chocula (one of the coolest cereal names ever), Cocoa Pebbles and Cocoa Krispies, but nothing tasted as good or as chocolaty as the Puffs. The commercials, on the other hand, were pretty lame….

We probably left off one of your favorites, so go ahead and slam us in the comments….

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2011/02/21/11-most-addictive-breakfast-cereals/feed/17Food/drink product roundup: Hint Water, Hungry Man Pub Favorites and Sledgehammer Wineshttp://blog.bullz-eye.com/2010/11/17/fooddrink-product-roundup-hint-water-hungry-man-pub-favorites-and-sledgehammer-wines/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2010/11/17/fooddrink-product-roundup-hint-water-hungry-man-pub-favorites-and-sledgehammer-wines/#commentsWed, 17 Nov 2010 19:58:34 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=1911Yes, trying and reviewing food and drink, and even alcoholic drinks, is a tough job. But someone has to do it. Here are a few new products that either came to me with promotions attached to them or not:

Hint flavored water–I drink a ton of flavored seltzer, so the thought of non-carbonated water scared me just a bit. But alas, this Hint stuff is pretty damn good. They sent six flavors, including Watermelon, Blackberry, Mango-Grapefruit and Strawberry-Kiwi. The Strawberry-Kiwi flavor comes with a special label–that of Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo to promote the new Yogi Bear movie that debuts in December and stars Justin Timberlake and Anna Farris. You can win tickets to the movie by visiting www.drinkhint.com/yogi. Anyway, this stuff is delicious, and it doesn’t come with a sugary aftertaste because there is no sugar at all. If you need a break from carbonation or need flavor in your water, definitely start here.

Hungry Man Pub Favorites—In promoting their new iPhone app, the Growlator (how great is that name?), the folks at Hungry-Man have introduced a new line of Pub Favorites including beer-battered chicken, tacos and popcorn fish. Since they don’t ship samples, the company did send me a few free coupons so I could grab one at the store. My local grocery store (Copp’s in Madison) only carried one, the Beer Battered Chicken, which comes with a side of cheese fries. Yeah, pure man-heaven, right? Well, I was set to make this in the conventional oven, because the thought of soggy breaded chicken is gross. So I baked it for the 40 or so minutes and then let it cool before trying. But first, the chicken and fries were all melded together, so I couldn’t take the film off just the chicken as it suggested. Anyway, the chicken was delicious—crispy and it tasted better than most frozen chicken you’ll find. But the fries were a mess—soggy, and the cheese sauce didn’t have much taste. And another drawback is that this is a meal to feed a small-ish hungry man, not a big dude. I’m guessing it would take three of these to feed a football player. But hey, it’s frozen food, and definitely worth trying for the chicken alone.

Sledgehammer Wine—Imagine my delight when I opened a package addressed to me and it was two bottles of wine. Since I didn’t want to bother shipping this to our wine expert, I decided to try it and write about it here. This is a new company and its first two offerings are a 2007 Zinfandel and a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. I like red wine but I’m no expert, but the thing is, they’re trying to reach guys like me. They’re billed as big and bold (hence the name) but this wine is not too oak-y or hard to gulp down—it’s smooth, mild and yet has a full-bodied taste. It’s just what a red wine should be. The Zinfandel is just a touch smoother, while the Cabernet has that hint of barrel to it. Sorry, you have to remember this is coming from a non-expert but someone who likes the stuff. Anyway, go try Sledgehammer if you like wine or even if you are looking for a substitute for beer as the weather turns colder. Also check out www.sledgehammerwine.com for more info.

If you are looking for the ultimate guy’s burger, then look no further than the Wendy’s Baconator Triple. I say the ultimate guy’s burger because I can’t imagine any sane woman wanting to eat such a huge burger unless she was answering to a dare or a lost bet.

The Baconator Triple sports three 1/4-pound fresh, never frozen patties, 3 slices of cheese, 9 smoked bacon strips, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, 4 dill pickles, onions (4 rings), 2 slices of tomatoes, lettuce and a premium bun. All that good American dish for a staggering 1360 calories!! You also have the option of “personalizing” your Baconator for even larger stats.

Hey, Wendy’s didn’t create this beast for the faint of heart or those counting calories, and as long as you know what you want and how to handle it, this is one great burger!

Bear Naked Granola is an all-natural blend of whole grains and other natural ingredients and its premise is that it gives a person the energy to do anything. To that end, the company has begun a Facebook campaign for people to share videos of fun, wild and “totally ridiculous” sports activities. Sports teams or individuals are able to upload their videos.

But being that we review food products on here, we also asked for samples to check out. I’m not sure that I would do anything wild and crazy upon eating this granola, but it’s damn tasty. We tried the Bear Naked Peak Protein Original flavor and it’s not quite crunchy–but more “soft crunchy” if you can imagine that. Put it this way, it won’t cut your gums like some granolas do. It’s not overly sweet either. We also tried the Bear Naked “Fit” Vanilla Almond Crunch, and this one is a bit crunchier and has a maple-y undertone. It has just 4 grams of sugar, but because of that, doesn’t taste as good as the original flavor. But as for that original flavor, I might just eat the whole bag right now.

For more on Bear Naked’s video promotion and how you can get involved, please visit their website.

It sure is nice when companies send samples of new food and drink products to review! Here are a few more we tried recently:

Unwind (TM) Low Calorie Relaxation Beverage–This is the opposite of Red Bull. In fact, it’s the polar opposite of those high caffeine drinks. Unwind contains a natural blend of melatonin, valerian root, rose hips and passion flower, and comes in Goji Grape, Pom Berry and Citrus Orange flavors. I tried them all, but not all at the same time. Let me tell you, this stuff works. I would advise that you drink it in the evening or before bed, because it relaxed me to the point of making me extremely sleepy. Not only that, this stuff, despite being low in calories, is delicious. The citrus is a tad bitter but the grape and berry flavors are awesome. Now I need to find more of it. If you’d like to, check out the Unwind website. Happy relaxing!

Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager–Yes, I was sent beer to sample. How cool is that? I moved to Wisconsin recently, and the beers here are among some of the best I’ve ever had. So I’ve become somewhat of a beer snob. But this Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager passed my discerning palate test with flying colors. It’s a European style Pilsner and the double hops give it a rich, deep flavor without being too dark or hearty. It’s smooth and is the type of beer you could just keep drinking on a hot summer day (so long as you are at home or can hand your keys to someone else).
Check out Black Star’s website for more info.

Utz La Primera Tortilla Chips--The fine folks at Utz don’t just make pretzels and chips and snack mixes. Their new La Primera Tortilla chips are really awesome–the extra thin Taqueria style chips in Regular, Limon and Southwest flavors are authentic Mexican restaurant type chips, mainly because they are so thin. The Regular style are a good complement with salsa, and the Limon stand up on their own with a nice lime and salt kick. The Southwest style is like Doritos Taco flavor, but not as processed tasting, and with some nice heat. There is also the Original Stone Ground Tortilla Chips, which are thicker and therefore better for cheese dips and guacamole..and these are also delicious and authentic tasting.

Lucky us, we get to review new food products that are sent to us! Here are a few awesome new ones that we recently received:

Utz Pub Fries/Cheddar Cheese Flavor--Leave it to the folks at Utz to take a product that someone else is making and make it better. I remember the Andy Capp’s “Fries” as a kid and these are like an upscale version. There is a strong onion undertone but the burst of real cheese flavor makes up for it.

Utz Pub Fries/Red Hot Flavor–These are super crunchy and the heat is almost instant. The heat also pleasantly lingers. While there is no cheese in this one, there is a tomato-y flavor that blends nicely with the heat. These are awesome

Dean’s Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip–The fine folks at Dean’s have always made a killer chip dip. Well now they are here with a new product, Pretzel Dip. The honey mustard is delicious and somehow not too frou-frou. The first ingredient is mustard and honey is not far down the list, making this a naturally good snack as well. And there is just 1.5 grams of fat per serving. Not that you’re watching your weight or anything.

Dean’s Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Dip–This one is also excellent, with a subtle yet nice cheese flavor in a creamy dip. It’s made with real cheese, and isn’t runny or chalky like other cheese dips, making it perfect for pretzels.

Mr and Mrs T Bloody Mary Mix (improved formula)–If you’ve ever had Mr and Mrs T Bloody Mary Mix, you know it’s distinctive, snappy and slightly sweet. Now, just in time for tailgating season, they have re-introduced the mixer with more tomato juice and sea salt to reduce sodium. This was always a good mix, but you can’t go wrong by adding more real juice to something, and that’s what they have done here. And why wouldn’t you want to make sure what you mix with lots of vodka is healthier?

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2010/09/15/new-food-product-roundup/feed/0Burger King’s “Whopper” still packs a punch!http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2010/09/06/whopper-still-packs-a-punch/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2010/09/06/whopper-still-packs-a-punch/#commentsMon, 06 Sep 2010 21:20:04 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=1314Most of us grew up eating all different kinds of fast food but only a few of those treats are still for sale on a current menu. The Burger King Whopper is one of those still standing in a sea of competition and I must say this burger still “packs a punch”! There are plenty of burgers that are larger and fancier but there is something about the Whopper that holds true. Maybe it’s the simplicity of the toppings?

I remember when the 1/4 pound of flame-fresh beef was considered one of the biggest out there but you don’t have to be the biggest to be one of the best fast food burgers. Granted in keeping our wastelines somewhat under control we can’t eat the Whopper everyday but when it’s time for those guilty pleasures the King still has a winner in the Whopper. Burger King will probably be going through some changes here soon but let’s hope the Whopper keeps it’s prominent place on their menu!

They don’t make pretzels like they used to. Pretzels you buy in the store either don’t have enough salt, are too bland or buttery or boring. And don’t get me started on soft pretzels, which Auntie Anne’s has pretty much ruined for all of America. However, there is hope, and there are still awesome pretzels sold in bags and in tubs. And the best of these is Utz brand pretzels. I found these in stores occasionally when living in New York, but hadn’t seen them since moving away from there years ago. But I found Utz products recently online, and bought a few different types of pretzels. Not only do they taste exactly as I remember, but they seem to be even better.

I bought a bag each of the rings, small logs and regular logs. Utz pretzels have very few ingredients so they taste fresh and not processed. And they don’t have that fake shine that most store-brought pretzels have. They are crunchy, generously salted, and just plain delicious. In fact, after going through the three bags rather quickly, I ordered two more large tubs of Utz pretzel rods. Yum.

Oh, and for good measure I also tried the 7-grain pretzels Utz carries. Amazingly, these are also delicious. With seven whole grains, meaning lots of healthy fiber, these are snacks you can feel good about eating and feeding your kids. It can’t be easy to make something healthy taste this good, but Utz delivers, again.

I have what is probably considered an unhealthy affinity for Pringles. Sure, they’re not real potato chips, just chopped and formed potato crisps with lots of chemical enhancements. But it’s not like most junk foods don’t already fit that description.

Anyway, being that I love spicy food and I know many of you do, I was bowled over last week in the grocery store when I encountered Pringles Extreme, a variety pack with three new flavors of mini-Pringles. The flavors are Smokin’ Hot Ranch, Torchin’ Tamale and Buffalo Wing. And well, they are awesome…for the most part. Here is our take:

Smokin’ Hot Ranch–these tasted like a cross between ranch flavor Doritos and old-school barbecue potato chips. But they have a pleasant spicy kick that hits you in the back of the throat on a time-delay.

Torchin’ Tamale–these were my least favorite of the bunch. There is a salsa flavor with red pepper-y heat. But the onion aftertaste is pretty strong, kind of overwhelming in fact.

Buffalo Wing–nothing sucks about anything that tastes like Buffalo wings. And that’s true of these crisps, which have a nice salty kick akin to real deal wing sauce. These also have a somewhat weird aftertaste, but a pleasant one, keeping that nice authentic wing taste with you.

Overall, this product is highly recommended if you like Pringles or spicy food or both. Go check ’em out!